Tasnim � The Iranian Navy�s 44th flotilla of warships has sailed around the African continent and entered the Atlantic Ocean, Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced.

�For the first time, the Navy�s 44th flotilla, comprised of Bushehr logistic warship and Alvand destroyer, has sailed around the African continent and arrived in the Atlantic Ocean,� Rear Admiral Sayyari said at a press conference in Tehran on Monday.

The naval fleet has docked at the Port of Durban, he said, hoping that the Navy�s vessels will sail across the Atlantic Ocean in the future.

The Commander hailed his forces� presence in international waters and said the Navy enjoys �a high status� among regional and trans-regional countries.

He also said the Navy plans to dispatch fleets to various countries, including Russia, China, Italy, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in the near future.

The 44th flotilla set sail for the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in mid-October to protect Iranian trade vessels against piracy in the unsafe zone.

In recent years, Iran�s naval forces have increased their presence in high seas to secure naval routes and protect merchant vessels and oil tankers against pirates.